Abstract

This essay aims to develop, and at the same time defend, a general view of democracy which goes beyond what has been labelled by Forsyth as 'normal interstate relations', 1 reflecting upon the current political physiognomy of the European Union (EU) as a Confederal Consociation: a compound polity whose distinct politically organised units are bound together in some form of 'Union' for specific purposes without losing their national identity or resigning their sovereignty to a single common government. In doing so, it is expected to shed some additional light on the relationship between democracy in the member nation-states and democracy within the larger polity. Hence, not only international relations theory or comparative politics proper, but also democratic theory, as a coherent 'network' of concepts and ideas concerning 'the art of good government', comprise the field of exploration. Although a number of normative assessments and value judgements are likely to develop during its elaboration, it should be stressed that there is no place of dogmatism in this undertaking. As Cohen once put it: There may be dogmatic democrats; there can be no democratic dogma.'.2